New packaging idea for the cold chain

Summertime is minutes away. And with summer, the cold chain for transporting popular perishables comes a bit more into focus. Especially if you’re talking about shipment of popular perishables like meat and fruit to eggs and more.

Fortunately, Ranpak is a step ahead of all of us with its cold chain protective packaging. It even has an area of focus that you might call a mission statement:

Replace foam and other less sustainable cold chain packaging with bio-based cold packs paired with thermal-protective, paper-based pads that are curbside recyclable by end consumers.

That’s a lot to process. So, just take a look at the graphic in this story. This is a commercially viable alternative to traditional plastic-based cold chain protective packaging, explains Mark Siebert, managing director North America at Ranpak.

For the past 18 months, Ranpak has been working with food and snack providers as well as e-commerce companies. The objective is simple: Provide a sustainable solution that incorporates paper-based cold packs as the cooling engine with recyclable thermal insulation material. Let’s break it down.

To start, all protective cold chain packaging in the cardboard box is customizable. Just inside the box is an all-paper insulation liner that is the first defense against heat, says Siebert. The RecyCold climaliner Plus easily provides up to 72 hours of temperature control.

Zone dividers in the box are either cardboard or paper, depending on the application. Ambient temperature foods can be packed alongside chilled items and even frozen ones.

Now for the really cool part. Bio-based RecyCold cool packs are designed to insulate and keep frozen products cold for as long as 72 hours in conjunction with climaliner Plus thermal insulation, says Siebert.

He explains this new thermal system is very different than the more common options you are used to seeing arrive at your doorstep. Instead, the Ranpak option is a unique combination of paper-based cool packs that contain a biodegradable FDA-approved gel that extends the pack’s cooling capabilities and a high-performance paper thermal insulator. That translates to a more sustainable alternative versus the current 100% plastic cool packs that are both safe for the consumer and the environment.

Goodbye to harmful chemical and plastic packs traditionally used to protect perishable food during shipment. You could go so far as to say these cool packs are the star of the show.

“When you use our RecyCold cool packs and climaliner insulation together, not only will you be protecting your package’s contents, you will also be protecting the environment at the same time,” said Siebert.

Much of the focus so far has been on maintaining a proper temperature during shipment. But there’s also the matter of keeping your packaging contents protected from jostling or other damaging indignities during transport.

That’s where Ranpak’s Geami paper wrapping system comes in. Siebert says it creates a mesh that replaces plastic bubble wrap with a sustainable paper solution that protects delicate products when multiple items are packed together.

As it turns out, Geami packaging has been protecting products like eggs in combination with its industry leading void fill products since its early days.

And while we’ve focused on food here, Siebert points out that this cold chain packaging can also be used to ship temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. And there’s probably more than we can imagine right now.

Meanwhile, let’s focus on this summer. Looking forward to meeting you at the beach. I’ll bring the food.